Federal prosecutors are asking an appeals court to reinstate a terrorism conspiracy charge against alleged al Qaeda operative Jose Padilla that could bring him a life sentence. The motion argues the Miami trial judge used “incorrect legal analysis” in finding the first count duplicated two other counts in the indictment against Padilla and four codefendants. The men are charged with being part of a North American “jihad” support cell for Islamic extremists overseas. Padilla, 36, a U.S. citizen held in military custody for three-and-half years without charge as an "enemy combatant,” was originally accused of plotting to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" in a U.S. city. The indictment against him makes no mention of such a scheme.... http://www.cbsnews.com

The spread of the HIV/Aids pandemic continues unabated, with the number of people infected rising once more in some countries which had been thought to be beating the disease, according to the UN. There are now 39.5 million living with HIV infection, according to the annual UNAIDS report, released ahead of World Aids Day on December 1, and 4.3 million of those were infected in 2006. That is 400,000 more than were infected in 2004. Most alarming is the increased prevalence in Uganda, long held up as a showcase to the world of what could be achieved in Africa with campaigning, education and widespread condom use. The report shows a rise from a low of 5.6% infection among men and 6.9% among women in 2000 to 6.5% in men and 8.8% in women in 2004. The reasons for the increase are not clear, but there has been a shift in the message from Uganda's leadership. Between the early 1990s and early 2000s, HIV prevalence fell sharply in major cities among pregnant women - the group most ...http://www.guardian.co.uk/aids/story/0,,1953799,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12

US Airways said Tuesday it is investigating the removal of six Muslim imams who were passengers on a Monday flight heading to Phoenix, Arizona.The clerics, who had been in Minnesota for a national imams conference, were guilty of nothing more than "flying while Muslim," according to a national Muslim advocacy group.The alert was raised after the men performed their normal evening prayers in the airport terminal before boarding Flight 300. A passenger who had seen them pray passed a note expressing concern to a flight attendant, US Airways spokeswoman Andrea Rader told The Associated Press....http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/21/passengers.removed/index.html?eref=rss_us

Fear of a second gas explosion was slowing efforts to find 15 coal miners missing 3,300 feet underground after a blast that killed at least eight of their colleagues.The accident happened Tuesday afternoon as the men, aged between 21 and 59, were retrieving equipment from a dangerous section of the Halemba mine in the southern city of Ruda Slaska.Grzegorz Pawlaszek, head of the state-owned Coal Co., said rescue teams had recovered seven bodies from the scene of the blast. Another body had been located but could not be reached because the high concentration of methane gas meant there was the risk of another explosion.He said the fate of the other 15 was "not known."Locator devices carried by the missing miners were emitting no signals. Still, "there is a chance to find someone still alive," Palwaszek said....http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,231139,00.html

Reported cases of HIV and AIDS in China has jumped 30 percent this year, with intravenous drug use the main source of infection, Chinese state media said Tuesday. The reported number of cases has grown to more than 183,000 this year, up from 144,000 at the end of last year, the China Daily newspaper reported, citing figures from the Ministry of Health. Of the reported cases, more than 40,000 have developed into AIDS, it said. The newspaper said the spike in cases was due in part to better reporting by health officials and patients. It said that 37 percent of the cases reported this year were linked to drug use and 28 percent were caused by unsafe sex. It said 5 percent were caused by people selling blood illegally or receiving infected blood from hospitals. The report didn't say what caused the remaining 30 percent of infections. ...http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2671862

Births by unmarried women in the United States have climbed to an all-time high, accounting for nearly four in 10 babies born last year, government health officials said Tuesday. While out-of-wedlock births have long been associated with teen mothers, the teen birth rate actually dropped last year to the lowest level on record. Instead, births among unwed mothers rose most dramatically among women in their 20s. Experts said the overall rise reflects the burgeoning number of people who are putting off marriage or living together without getting married. They said it also reflects the fact that having a child while unmarried is more acceptable than in the past. The increase in births to unwed mothers was seen in all racial groups, but rose most sharply among Hispanics. It was up among all age groups except youngsters ages 10 to 17. ...http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/21/national/main2204387.shtml?source=RSSattr=U.S._2204387